SEC Attorney on Billionaire Stanford's Case Accused of Cop Assault
Police say Securities and Exchange Commission attorney J. Kevin Edmundson assaulted a police officer Saturday night in Fort Worth, Texas. Officers arrested him that night.
Edmundson, the associate director of the SEC’s regional office in Fort Worth, is on the team prosecuting Texas billionaire R. Allen Stanford, who is accused of running a multibillion-dollar fraud through investment businesses, although the Associated Press reported that it’s unclear whether he will remain on the case.
“We are aware of the incident, and it is under review,” SEC spokesman John Nester said in a statement. “We take such matters seriously and are prepared to take any appropriate action.”
Police Sgt. Pedro Criado told the Associated Press that initially, Edmundson disobeyed an officer’s order not to cross the street. The officer intended to arrest Edmundson for public intoxication, and she grabbed his arm and pulled out his wallet to obtain identification. At that point, “he got in her face, and she was so concerned with her safety that she put her hand on his chest.” Criado said that when Edmundson still would not back up, she called off-duty officers to help, and when those officers were handcuffing Edmundson, he tried to free one arm and hit the female officer in the eye.
The Associated Press could not reach Edmundson or his attorney, Tim Moore, for comment.
